Improved naval defensive armor



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. MOWBRAY, OF TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND BRADHURST SOHIEFFELIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED NAVAL DEFENSIVE ARMOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,439, dated September 9, 1862.

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern..-

Beit known that l, GEORGE MORDEY Mow- BRAY, of Titusville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Defensive Armor for Ships and other Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a transverse vertical section of the frame and armor of a vessel constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of one side of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in an improved con struction of the framing of vessels and mode of applying the defensive metallic armor, whereby the armor is supported to such extent as may be desirable directly by the fram ing instead ofbeing suspended by bolts; also, in a certain construction of the armor and Inode of fastening it to the sides ofthe vessel, which also provides for its being calked.

To enable others skilled in the art to apply my invention to use, IWill proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A A are the ribs or framingtimbers secured to the keelson B in the usual manner, and C O are timbers interposed between and alterhating with A A, stepped into the keelson and extending upward in an oblique direction to points above the bilge where the armor is to commence and where they protrude beyond the outside of the ribs to form a ledge for the support ofthe armorplates D D and a a. The plates D D are rolled of a convenient thickness, say about four inches, and of a width, say from six to ten inches, according to the thickness required for the armor, such width being either uniform or varying, according to the thickness desired for different parts of the vessel. These plates can be rolled in un ordinary rolling-mill. They are applied with their rolled surfaces in a horizontal position and their edges, one of which is arranged toward and abuts against the framingtimbers A A of the vessel, and the other of which is presented outward, are planed. The plates A A are made of boiler-plate or ordinary plate-iron, and are arranged under, be-

tween, and above D D, alternating with the cutter, and they are of a form to enter between the timbers A A, as shown at b b in Fig. 2, and project sonic distance inward beyond the interior of the said timbers. A series of blocks, c c, of wood are applied between the said plates a ain the spaces between the said timbers, and a second series of blocks, d d, of similar material are applied between the said plates inside of the said timbers, and inside of the blocks d d there is applied a liningf, of iron plate, to which the portions b b of the plates a a are secured by angle-pieces e e of iron riveted to thesaid portions b b and to t-he lining. Thelow est plate, a,A rests directly upon the framingtimbers C C, which are thus made to support in a great degree the weight of the armor and transmit it to the keelson. The plates D D are secured to the plates a a in alateral direction by dowel-pins g g inserted through holes in the plates a a and entering holes provided `for their reception in the top and bottom of the plates D D, and the plates a a being secured inside of the framing serve to hold the plates D D close against the outside thereof. The outer edges of the plates a a are left flush with or projecting very slightly beyond the outer edges ol" D D, and the armoris finished by calking the said plates tightly between D D.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. So constructing the framing of the vessel with timbers O G, or their equivalents, projecting outward beyond the ribs A A, and so applying the armor-plates, in combination with such `timbers or equivalents, that the weight of the armor is supported to such extent as may be desirable by the said timbers or equivalents, and by them transmitted to the keelson of the vessel, substantially as herein specified.

2. The combination of the plates D D and a a, the blocks c c and d d, the angle-pieces c c or their equivalents, and t-hc lining f, the whole constructed and applied in combination with the ribs A A, substantially as herein specified.

GEO. M. MOWBRAY.

Witnesses:

RIcHARDsoN GAWLEY, JAMEs LAIRD. 

